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the cover send your entry to
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From Corrie
to Cabaret
an interview with actor,
artist and cabaret saltaire
promoter steve huison

I

BY mike farren

meet Steve Huison in the Caroline Street went from college to work for theatre
Club on a Monday evening. The TV soap companies throughout the country. This was
opera and Hollywood star joins me by part of his experience growing up in Leeds,
the pool table, while bingo numbers are called watching companies like Red Ladder, acting
next door and the sound of line dancing drifts in youth theatre and getting free tickets to
in from another room. He couldn’t be more Leeds Playhouse. The demise of Theatre
at home. Several times during the evening in Education is something he laments
he answers requests for
both for his own sake (his
Cabaret Saltaire tickets – the
involvement was “getting
local institution he regularly
away with playing for 3
“I’m always
presents, and that will feature
years”), but also because it
drawn to the
again as part of the Saltaire
closes doorways for young
exaggerated
Festival
in
September.
people into theatre. Talking
about touring a new John
side of things.
There is nothing affected
Godber play, he says, “It
I always push
about Steve – nothing starry,
was all elderly audiences. I
condescending or forced.
don’t know what younger
for the bigger,
He really is at ease on a
audiences are going to see,
and they always
slow night in the homely
but they’re not going to see
club. Now in his early fifties,
a new John Godber. In the
want it smaller!”
he came to acting in more
70s or 80s they would have.”
idealistic, less star-struck
times, and for all his fame, still hankers for Huison, though, continues to be motivated
those times. Studying community theatre in by theatre with socially useful functions.
the mid-80s, “Drama seemed like the best The company he co-founded, Shoestring
way of getting out of doing a job,” he says. Forum, performs this role. “The focus is
on mental health,” he explains, “That came
Specialising in Theatre in Education, he about through a family member getting ill.”

7

Confusion over how to navigate mental health characters, “Fat Brenda is from Coronation
services brought him into contact with many Street. Squinty McGinty [Huison in
stories. “These were important stories to tell, compere mode] came out when we were
so we told them in the way we knew. One play making a promo video.” Subconsciously,
we devised went on three national tours.”
he channelled his uncle, “My mum
The kind of ‘forum’ theatre that Shoestring watched the video and afterwards said,
embodies arises from the Theatre of the “What’s our Kenneth doing in that?””
Oppressed theories of Augusto Boal, and
provides “a way of allowing an audience to Reference to Coronation Street brings us
try out ideas, to try different variations on to one of the roles for which he is most
problem solving, or how to handle certain recognised – Eddie Windass, who Huison
situations.” However, as with
played from 2008 to 2011.
Theatre in Education, public
He appears to have mixed
“I’d never do
funding is no longer available
feelings about it. “Being
for this kind of theatre, and
in a series like Coronation
an advert for
that’s how Cabaret Saltaire
Street over a period of time
BT back then,
was born, as part of the
gives you a lot of exposure.
effort to fund Shoestring.
Getting a job like that you can
or an advert for
A long-term resident in
plan, even though nothing
McDonalds,
Shipley, Steve got the idea
is secure anyway. You don’t
in Caroline Street in 2010,
know when they’re going
I’d never do
which was arguably what
to drop you.” However, as
an advert for
started the renaissance of
far as the acting and public
the venue. “David Ford
profile is concerned, “You’re
BUPA, or
organised a jazz night here
put on such a pedestal, and
I’d never do
at the beginning of the
only about 5 or 10% of
Festival. I’d never been in
your time is spent acting.
a soap. We
because I thought it was
You’re not challenged. All
were young
a private members’ club. I
you’re expected to do is turn
thought, “My God, look at
up on time and know your
and naïve.
this! Why is this empty?””
words. There is very little
Now, we’ve got
play – which is what we do!”
Encountering the venue
mortgages.”
revived
memories
of
Some of the qualms are
student days. “We used
idealistic. “When we were
to do cabarets. We’d put one on at the end in drama school, you’d sit in the bar saying,
of the term. This looked like the ideal “What would you not do?” I’d never do
place to do it. We did about four that first an advert for BT back then, or an advert
year, then Ron and Hilary spotted what for McDonalds, I’d never do an advert
was going on, and set the Live Room up.” for BUPA, or I’d never do a soap. We were
young and naïve. Now, we’ve got mortgages.”
Currently quite a few cabarets are planned,
including some on the East Coast – where Steve, however, is realistic enough in spite of
it becomes Cabaret Salty Air. As for the his ‘exaggerated’ principles to acknowledge

8

photo by jack smith

Steve on stage as his alter-ego Squinty McGinty at a recent Cabaret Saltaire event.

that priorities change. “I’m not interested in
working for a big company that’s chopping
down rainforests, but now and again you
have to take the money. Principles change
depending on what state your pocket’s in.”

How he got into The Full Monty suggests a
determination at odds with such diffidence.
“When the casting was taking place I was
in West London, doing a play round infant
schools. An actor called Andy Livingstone,
who was in a couple of scenes, said, ‘I’m
being seen for this film next week and there’s
a part that might be good for you.’ It was
before mobile phones, so I remember having
to go and find a phone box. I’d just done
another short film, which was being edited
in Soho and I knew the director and casting
director of The Full Monty were meeting at
a certain time on the other side of Soho – so,
I’m sticking in 10p pieces, trying to organise
a motorbike courier to pick up a copy of
the film and have that couriered across to
coincide with when they arrived at the office.
It succeeded. They saw it and called me in.”

I ask him whether he gets recognised more as
Eddie, or as Lomper, his role in the film of
The Full Monty. “It depends on whether The
Full Monty’s been on telly,” he says. “I know,
because the next day I’m very aware of people
talking about me, whispering about me. Other
days it’s just complete obscurity, which I prefer.”
However his was not an easy transition to
screen. “When I first got into television,” he
admits, “I had never trained for camera. I was
fortunate to work with an actor called John
Bowler. He just kept saying, ‘Take it down’.
It’s about dumbing down. I’m always drawn
to the exaggerated side of things. I always
push for the bigger, and they always want
it smaller! I’m not very good at subtlety.”

If The Full Monty gave him his highest profile,
he is clear about his favourite movie role, even
though it’s in a rarely-seen, relatively obscure

9

Steve shot to fame in the role of Lomper in the 1997 hit film The Full Monty

film by Ken Loach. “Not a lot of people
have seen The Navigators. It was financed
by Channel 4 so it was made for TV. It got
a cinema release abroad, but I think it’s only
been on Channel 4 once. It’s a shame because
of the subject matter [rail privatisation] – it’s
still going on. They’ve just sold East Coast!”

work with street theatre act The Czeztikov
Brothers. Alternatively, there’s visual art.
Steve actually attended art school before
training in drama. However, it wasn’t a happy
experience. “All I wanted to do was learn how
to paint, but they weren’t painting that year.
It knocked it out of me for about 28 years.”

As well as the message of the film Steve says
of Loach, “He knows how to work with
actors. He knows how to pull performances
out of people. He gets an honesty out of
performers, which is what it’s about as a job,
isn’t it?”
Despite Huison’s high profile roles and his
extensive appearances as a character actor, he
still suffers from the actor’s insecurity when
the roles aren’t forthcoming. “I haven’t had
a paid, commercial acting job since August,”
he confides. “I’m getting to a point where I’m
starting to question whether I’m an actor.”
Other gifts that his experience have given
him though are resilience and resourcefulness.
“I never wait for the phone to ring. I always
keep busy. I don’t allow myself to get bored.”

In the last five or six years he has re-learned
and re-kindled enthusiasm for drawing and
painting, to the extent that it may become his
main activity. While at Scarborough’s Stephen
Joseph Theatre, “I’d draw the other actors,
just on the back of the scripts. They invited
me in when the next rehearsals were taking
place, to draw the actors and the director. I
just kept going back whenever there’s a show
on. They’ve said they consider me their artistin-residence.”

If it’s not acting there’s cabaret, or his

10

It seems typical of this modest, resourceful
but multi-talented individual to take such
disparate artistic possibilities in his stride.
Steve is a charming individual and the most
modest, diffident renaissance man I have met.
I would wish him luck with his next venture,
but I know he’ll make his own.

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Writing better
together
members of the saltaire writers group share
their literary experiences
By Eileen Hogg

In the summer of 2013 I was a newcomer to
Saltaire and suffering from all the loneliness
of the solitary writer. Saltaire Writers’ Group
was a great discovery.

so vibrant, with many different groups and
societies.”
Diana put a lot of effort into getting the
group off the ground. Since then she has
continued to run the group, which meets
twice a month in a room in Shipley College.
In Diana’s words, “Our members have
varied writing interests which range through
autobiographical, romance, poetry, religious,
historical and short stories. We read out our
work, receive constructive feedback and
often do practical writing sessions within the
meetings. This means the members who are
not able to do much writing at home will at
least produce a piece that they could possibly
build into a completed story or poem. We also
share information about local writing events,
books and authors that we enjoy.”

The group was set up by Diana Finn in 2012.
“I’d been thinking about starting a writers’
group for a long time,” Diana told me, “and
local screenwriter Dave Thompson provided
the final impetus behind the idea.”
Dave says, “I was writing screenplays alone
without any opportunity for feedback, and I
found the process very daunting. I googled
writing groups in the area and found Diana’s
name, as she’d briefly taken a workshop some
years before.”
Dave got in touch with Diana, they met up,
and in Dave’s words, “We stuck up a few fliers
and the response was pretty overwhelming.”
Diana’s idea for a group struck a chord
with many other solitary writers. Diana told
me, “I was actually surprised that there was
no existing group already since Saltaire is

As Diana says, between us the group’s
members have a variety of writing projects
on the go, and our different interests bring a
freshness to the meetings.

14

Pauline Harrowell

- I entered one of these and got a mention as
runner-up, which was encouraging.
What I like about the Group is that you get
new insights about your writing and about
writing in general - a different viewpoint is
always valuable. There’s also the stimulus
you get to try something new. For instance
I thought I had no interest at all in science
fiction, but was inspired enough by someone
else’s writing to try it myself and found a
surprising flow came forth.
Finally, the fortnightly deadline to write
something is always useful, though it’s not
compulsory. If, like me, you’re lazy and need
triggers to write, this Group will help you to
get going.”

“I’ve been writing poetry for about four years
and am now trying my hand at short stories.
As one of the less experienced members of
the group I find it really helpful to be able
to read my work out and get some detailed
constructive criticism in a friendly supportive
atmosphere. This has actually helped me get
things published. And I find it very rewarding
to read other people’s work in the same way;
it helps develop my own critical faculties, and
the variety of work people produce is really
interesting. Also it’s great to be associated
with a place like Saltaire.”

Savitri Barkess-Patel

Eileen Hogg

Savitri is writing a semi-autobiographical work
for her grandchildren.
“The idea to write about my life came from
my sons who were not much interested in my
past until they had children themselves. They
then wanted their offspring to learn about
their family and cultural history. Although
I was accustomed to writing reports in my
professional life this was a very different
challenge, as no child is going to be interested
in learning dry facts. So for two years I have
been creating stories from memories of my life
in India up to the age of eight and subsequent
years in Britain that map my life journey.
Joining Saltaire Writers’ Group has provided
the stimulation and support I needed to set
off on this journey and to continue when I
became lost or had a block.”

As for me, my name’s Eileen Hogg, and I
write romance novels under the far more
romantic pen name of Helena Fairfax. Like
Dave, I find writing alone can be daunting on
occasion and I’ve found the critical feedback
from the group invaluable, especially when
I’m suffering from writers’ block or struggling
with a passage I feel isn’t working well.
Besides that, the writing exercises we do as a
group have helped me speed up my writing
process and provide me with the challenge of
writing quickly without constantly re-editing,
which is something I’m prone to do. Writing
romance isn’t all purple prose and swooning
heroines, and I hope my contribution has
helped challenge some of these perceptions.
Finally, to quote Diana, “The group is small,
friendly and supportive of each other’s writing.
Personally, I find the meetings stimulating and
creative in nature and always leave feeling
uplifted.”

Carol Sherrard

“I’ve been with the Group since it started.
I’ve met a wide range of people, and different
kinds of writing, some of which I was hardly
aware of (such as writing for films and other
media). When I joined I was not sure what
kind of writing I wanted to do, and now I
seem to have settled on poetry.
The group share information on competitions

Saltaire Writers’ Group is delighted to welcome new
members. We meet every alternate Monday from 6.30
– 8.30pm at Shipley College. If you’re interested in
joining or want more information please contact Diana
at dianafinn1@sky.com

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Food glorious food
in the month we are encouraged to love your
local market, phillip lickley heads to bingley
food and drink festival

W

By phillip lickley
watching the rich mix of visitors to the event those looking for new beers and ciders, families
trying out new food, and passers-by stumbling
across the treats on offer. Smak also sold a
farmer’s sausage suitable for most palates and
a hunter’s sausage, all either in a baguette or
with sautéed baby potatoes with rosemary and
thyme, with a range of sauces on
offer.

hilst most of us were getting ready
to unwrap their chocolate Easter
Eggs I was heading to Bingley to
savour the delights of my first visit to their
annual Food and Drink Festival, held each
year over several days in the town square. This
year the Festival ran from Thursday 2 April
to Easter Sunday. I arrived by
train on the Saturday afternoon
“I joined
as the sun emerged to shine
the
buzzing
across the numerous food stalls
and beer tent. The event was
atmosphere
organised by Bradford Markets
in the beer
and included over twenty food
tent, taking a
stalls. Many people were either
seat on one of
wandering around sampling the
various foods or perched on the
the hay-bales,
hay bale seats with a pint in their
enjoying the
hands. There were also activities
music on offer
for the younger members of the
with live turns
audience, including a bungee
attraction and an Easter egg
promised for
hunt.

Elsewhere you had Pickard’s
Pies hand-made from Yorkshire
pork, a stall selling locally-reared
meats, olives, baklava and more,
fresh fruit and vegetables, Indian
snacks and sauces, Yorkshire
blended teas, a chocolate
fountain, fresh fish, Blueberry
Hill preserves, a cheese stall,
pies and pastries from Salt’s
Catering, plus a stall selling
candy floss and other sweet
treats. For those filled to the
later in the
brim there were clothes on sale.
evening. ”
Upon arrival I cut through the
For more liquid refreshment
crowd of the Foundry Hill beer
there was a prosecco tent and
tent and made a beeline for the most obvious the aforementioned beer and cider marquee
stall, that of Smak, selling Polish and South selling over forty craft beers, eight craft lagers
African sausages, the smell of their BBQ and over twenty ciders, of which I sampled a
drifting across the site. With a classic hearty handful.
South African Boerewors beef-sausage with
green, red and yellow peppers in hand I sat I joined the buzzing atmosphere in the beer

18

PHOTO BY phillip lickley

One of the most popular attractions at the Bingley Food and Drink Festival
were the Polish and South African sausages.

tent, taking a seat on one of the hay-bales,
enjoying the music on offer with live turns
promised for later in the evening. I first tried
some Hampshire Toffee Apple cider, which
was a little too watery and bland for my tastes,
but found better refreshment in a delicious
Devon Blueberry which I drank alongside a
delightfully chunky pork and black pudding pie
from the Little Yorkshire Pie Company.

every Saturday and this is a way of pushing
it for people to see what’s on offer. We go all
around Yorkshire - Barnsley, Leeds, Kirkstall.
We always push Yorkshire. People come from
outside Yorkshire for our markets!”
Next to the Little Yorkshire Pie Company
was the stall for Stickey’s honey and I spoke
to Chris who has run the company for fifteen
years. He took me through some of the
produce on offer, made by 100 colonies of
bees within twenty miles of Wakefield. This
included both raw heather comb, pollen honey,
and one with ginger, which Chris told me is
good for the winter, Yorkshire blossom from
an organic farm at Thornhill near Dewsbury,
and woodland honey. Chris’s passion for honey
came across during our brief chat, with details

I spoke to Richard Steer on the stall about his
pies, asking where they were made and how
the market had been going, “They’re all made
just down the road in Shipley. The weather’s
better than yesterday. It’s been a very good day
today. A lot of people out!”
I also asked about how the markets work for
local businesses, “We do the Bingley Market

19

of how they introduced bees to different fruit
flowers to give the honey a sweeter, fruitier
taste, and how added pollen is said to help deal
with allergies such as hay fever.
“Yorkshire honey is very popular,” he told me.
“It’s a growing market. People are becoming
more aware of natural and local produce.”
As I next tucked into a
selection of hand-made
chocolates from Peter’s
Pantry, including one with
ginger, I spoke to Ruth
Hayes about their selection
and how Easter was going
for a business focusing on
chocolate.
“We have hand-made
luxury
confectionery,
twelve different flavours
of truffle, twelve different
flavours of creams, and
a miscellaneous section
with fudges, rocky road,
coconut ice, and a few
other bits and pieces. We
make them all ourselves in
Idle - customers can make
their own selection and we
also have prepacked bags as
well.”
Ruth and many of the
other stallholders were
happy to report good times
at the four-day food and
drink festival, and it was
great to see local services
on display. I finished my
Bingley browsing with a
visit to the pancake stall,
talking to owner Richard
as he prepared me a cherry
and crème fraiche crepe.

He’d been in business for over two years in
Holmfirth and told me he’d enjoyed his time
on the stall at Bingley, even with rain on the
Friday. With a selection of sweet and savoury
pancakes on offer, I asked him which were
most popular. His verdict was quick, “Sweet!
The most popular is probably chocolate and
marshmallow. A lot of adults will go for the
savoury ones. Ham and cheese has gone down
well with people!”

i

Saltaire
Market
Originally in Caroline Street
Car Park, Saltaire Local
Produce Market was relaunched in May 2014 to
coincide with the nationwide
Love Your Local Market
campaign. Newly relocated
and on the second Saturday
of every month, the market
has welcomed a host of new
traders.
The revamped Market is
now based on the Exhibition
Road car park, where Saltaire
shoppers can buy fresh locally
produced food from fantastic
regional suppliers, meet the
producers and growers of the
food and taste free samples!
The Market runs from
10am to 3pm, on the second
Saturday of every month, at
the Exhibition Road car park
in Saltaire.

20

He walked me through
the process of making the
pancakes as he dropped
homemade batter onto the
hot plates to make my crepe.
“I was up at five o’clock
this morning cracking eggs!
It’s a traditional English
pancake batter cooked in a
French style.”
With my delicious pancake
soon polished off with a
swift half-pint of cider I
said my goodbyes to the
Food and Drink Festival,
happy to have chatted to
many of the passionate
purveyors of food from
across Yorkshire who
came together to showcase
their wares, proving that
Yorkshire has a wide range
of great food and drink
available both at regular
markets and in stores and
shops.
For
information
on
Bradford Markets visit
www.bradfordmarkets.com
or find out more about
some of the people I spoke
to - www.peterspantry.net
www.stickeys.co.uk
and
twitter.com/littleyorkpie.

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Back on the Arts Trail
THE EVER-POPULAR SALTAIRE ARTS TRAIL IS BACK
AGAIN THIS MONTH, SHOWCASING SOME OF THE
REGION’S FINEST ART RIGHT ON YOUR DOORSTEP
By ALISON POVEY

S

altaire Inspired is delighted to announce
the return of the Saltaire Arts Trail. With
this year’s theme of Craft and Making we
aim to offer an exciting and imaginative visual
arts programme, celebrating Saltaire’s rich
heritage and filling the village with art over the
Bank Holiday weekend 23 – 25 May.

Kintsugi Handstitch objects by Harriet
Lawton, intricate glasswork from Suzanne
Tweddle and the use of axes and knives to
make a beautifully carved and practical spoon
from Steve Tomlin, there’s something for
everyone.

Thanks to funding from Arts Council
England we’re delighted to be
able to bring the Highlights
Contemporary Craft Tour Rural
“At the heart
Craft Re-imagined to West
of the Trail
Yorkshire for the first time.
every year
Championing British heritage
are the now
craft whilst celebrating its
famous Open contribution to contemporary
design the exhibition will feature
Houses - a
the work of willow sculptor
village-wide
and basket maker Lizzie Fairy,
gallery set in
intricate leather worker Mark
Rowney, forgemaster Lucy
the Grade II
Sandys-Clarke, woodturner Bill
listed homes
Robinson, textile worker Lynn
of residents. ” Setterington and letter carver
Victoria Hall will be brimming
with designer-makers from up
Pip Hall, well known locally for
and down the country, each
her work with Simon Armitage
selected by an independent panel and offering on the Stanza Stones project.
affordable contemporary craft and design to
buy or commission. With demonstrations in In addition Fuse Art Space in association with
weaving from Chrissie Freeth, decorative joint Wet Genes will present Drift, an interactive and
detailing in high quality furniture from David immersive light experience, and international
Mawdsley, the most unusual but exquisite performance artist Silvia Ziranek will build
At the heart of the Trail every
year are the now famous Open
Houses - a village-wide gallery
set in the Grade II listed homes
of residents. We thank all those
who have agreed to open their
homes to the artists and public.
New this year is the strand of
artist-owned houses: Open
Houses – Made in Saltaire. With
such a wealth of talent residing
in the village we’re particularly
proud to showcase this in the
programme.

25

Creative family activities will include workshops and demonstrations by The Print Project.
an evocation of life and times in Salt’s Saltaire
through three incremental performances.

your appetite with a free workshop or book a
more in-depth masterclass for a small fee. You
can choose from photography with Yorkshire
Photo Walks, textiles with Hannah Lamb,
letter carving with Pip Hall or drawing with
Jake Attree.

Across the weekend we’re giving local residents
and visitors a chance to get involved in the
Arts Trail. If you’re a local resident or business
why not create some art (preferably red) and
show it in your window or boot scraper hole?
No rules - just red!

The Arts Trail is largely volunteer-led and
we’re still looking for volunteers to help make
this year a success. If you have time to spare
and would like to get involved, please contact
us at team@saltaireinspired.org.uk.

Or if you’re a visitor to the trail there’ll be
creative activities for you and all the family to
get involved in throughout the village. Whether
it’s doodling on a chalkboard whilst in a café,
adding your mark to the giant lengths of
bunting with Hannah Lamb in the Methodist
Church, or doing natural crafts on the barge
on the canal there’s something for every age
and interest. Want to learn a new skill? Whet

The Saltaire Arts Trail runs 10am–5pm Saturday
23 – Monday 25 May 2015 across Saltaire. For
further details and more information about the artists
participating please see www.saltaireinspired.org.uk
We look forward to welcoming you.

Icing on the cake
introducing saltaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendly
and nomadic cake makers, the
clandestine cake club

By shirley quarmby

28

A

re you a baker? Like having your cake
and eating it too? Then the Saltaire
Clandestine Cake Club might be just
for you. We’re simply a social group who meet
once a month in ‘secret’ locations and enjoy
a chinwag over a cuppa and a slice of cake or
two (or three or four!).

business and the publicity we give them
through Twitter. The only cost to members
is the baking of their cake and purchase of
refreshments.
Each event has a set theme but is only there as
a rough guide to give people ideas on what to
make. Themes have included Do Yourself A
Flavour, The Booze Cruise and My Favourite
Colour.

The Clandestine Cake Club (CCC) was
originally formed in Leeds in 2010 by Lynn
Hill and has grown phenomenally - there are
now clubs not only in the UK but all over the As with most clubs there are some rules world. There’s even a book, the Clandestine there are to be no tarts, cupcakes, muffins
or brownies. Why? you might
Cake Club Cookbook, featuring
ask. I guess we like to think of
members’ recipes (a second
“There’s no
ourselves as a cake club rather
book is soon to be published).
than a baking club. In addition,
The Saltaire branch has been
competition
we like the idea of sharing
going for about three years
between
pieces of our cakes - cupcakes,
now.
the cakes
muffins and brownies don’t
- no Great
lend themselves easily to this.
The
idea
behind
the
British
‘clandestine’ bit is that the
There’s
no
competition
location, which is different for
Bake Off
between the cakes - no Great
each event, is only revealed on
here!”
British Bake Off here! Our
a need-to-know basis. Members
ethos is encouragement and
find out via the CCC website
about the events, which are free to attend with participation. Our members are from many
booking all done by email. Only those booked different backgrounds and circumstances and
in to an event will be told the location details. all levels of cake-making abilities. Several can
even testify to the positive and healing effect
There’s usually an event once a month and of baking in overcoming challenges and
most occur on a mid-week evening and last difficulties in their lives.
for a couple of hours. Occasionally events are
It’s free to join and has no hidden agenda.
arranged on weekend afternoons.
The club’s mission statement is simply Bake,
Locations are generally local retail outlets such Eat and Talk about Cake.
as cafés and restaurants. We rely very much on
the generosity of these venues to allow us to If you would like to find out more, go to the
hold our event free of charge. The benefit to Clandestine Cake Club website:
them is our purchase of refreshments, repeat clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

A Festival for all the family
in the first of a series of saltaire festival
previews, we take a look at the family weekend

BY Helen Swallow

S

altaire Festival returns this September
for 10 days of music, art, food and
culture and, in the first of a series of
previews, we’re taking a look at the festival’s
family weekend, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13
September. Every year the festival kicks off
with a weekend of events for children and
families, many of them free, and this year is
no different, with a range of family-friendly
activities across the two days.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Roald Dahl’s
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory pictures
of confectionery will be hidden around the
park and large sweets will be hiding in the trees
along the tramway. A free lolly for every child
who takes part and prizes for the winners!

In Roberts Park on both days the festival
welcomes Magic Jackson, a hilarious and
unique children’s magician and entertainer.
His performances are full of fun, comedy and
magical mystery. Nessie’s Face Painting will
also be in the park all weekend to get you and
your family into the festival spirit! Plus glitter
tattoos! And it’s free! No family event in Saltaire
would be complete without an appearance
from the famous alpacas, in Roberts Park to
meet the children on Saturday.

Those with an arty disposition can try their
hand at some free art and craft activities from
Idle Arts and Vicars Cafe. If your child attends
one of Saltaire’s local primary schools they may
be taking part in a fantastic art competition
designing Saltaire-inspired greetings cards for
the festival. During the opening weekend of
the festival the artwork from the winners of
this competition will be exhibited in Saltaire
village on both the Saturday and Sunday
(venue TBC). The Dandy Arthouse - the local
art company who have worked in collaboration
with the festival on the competition - will also
be holding a free workshop for children to
design their own greetings cards on the day.

For those of you who like a bit of a competition,
how about a chocolate treasure hunt including
a ride on the famous Shipley Glen Tramway?

For specific show times and more information about each
event, please visit www.saltairefestival.co.uk or contact
info@saltairefestival.co.uk for more information.

31

THE LIVE ROO

TUESDAY TO SUNDAY, EVERY BANK
HOLIDAY & EVERYDAY DURING
SCHOOL HOLIDAY

‘The best all round roots venue in West Yor

SALTAIRE

• GREATFOOD
• GREATCOFFEE
• GREATSURROUNDINGS
The half moon cafe is a voluntary organisation in partnership
with Saltaire Cricket Club and the local community

Saltaire Bandstand resumes summer
duties later this month, with performances
every Sunday from 24 May through to the
Saltaire Festival in September. The iconic
red structure enters its sixth year with a
programme varying from solo songwriters
and instrumentalists, choirs and dancinggroups, to traditional brass and big bands.

food to suit the occasion. And of course the
cafe will be open every Sunday afternoon to
complement the sound of music from above.
First up on 24 May is Roger Davies.
As the composer of Bradford Born n’
Raised, Brighouse On Saturday Night,
Peter Brook’s Paintings, The Beerbelly
Blues and Into The Sun, Roger is one of
today’s most engaging singer-songwriters.

In the tradition of parks music the events
are free, and run from 2.30pm to 4pm on
Sunday afternoons. They’re funded by the
Parks Department of Bradford Council and
supplemented by a collection at each concert
organised by the Friends of Roberts Park.

His song 1,000 Tears was the soundtrack
to the Kirklees Road Safety Partnership’s
Anti Drink Driving Campaign during the
2014 Christmas and New Year period,
while Wear Your Poppy With Pride was
released as a fundraising CD Single last
November, raising thousands of pounds
for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

There are also four free Saturday events in the
2015 calendar when the bandstand can show
off its lights. Second Saturday Sunset Dancing
replaces the former Jazz And Curry formula,
and features different types of music to dance to.

Roger will also be accompanied by the
legendary Dave Bowie Jr on double bass and
the multi-instrumentalist and vocal harmonist,
Dickie Dixon.

These evenings will give the Half Moon Cafe a
chance to shine along with the bandstand, with

34

Hall Brothers
@IRREGULAR ROOTS
9th may, kirkgate centre

By joe grint

Popular local trio the Hall Brothers are the
headliners at the Kirkgate Irregular Roots gig
at the Kirkgate Centre on Saturday 9 May.
Yorkshire-born brothers Nick and Duncan
Hall have played music together for as long as
they can remember. They first performed as
The Hall Brothers in 1991, in 1994 they were
joined by fiddle-player, multi-instrumentalist
and producer John Carey, and since then they
have played concerts and festivals throughout
the UK and in Ireland and Holland. They’ve
supported acts as diverse as Fairport
Convention and The Wedding Present with
their unique brand of folk/rock. Featuring
contemporary and traditional material with
a fine mixture of strong songwriting, great
harmonies, intricate guitar playing and fiddle
pyrotechnics, they never fail to leave audiences
with a smile on their faces!
Appearances by this well-loved band are
becoming rarer so make sure you don’t miss

36

this chance to see them!
Support comes from Steve Chapman Smith,
who has had a wide and varied musical career
to date. He has played on many recordings
from bands including Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Fiat Lux, Ghostdance, Riprize, Ada Wilson,
Stranger than Fiction and more recently
The Troubadors. Steve has now launched a
solo career showcasing his original material
with a few much-loved covers along the way.
Passionate, uplifting, real songs about real
people and real life. Steve’s new CD Justice
has just been released and we’re hoping he has
plenty of copies with him when he visits us!
The format for this gig will be different from
our usual arrangement. Steve Chapman Smith
will play an extended support set before the
Hall Brothers play a single long set. Entry is
£6 waged or £4 unwaged and doors open at
8pm.

Chip Taylor
@the live room
22nd may Caroline St social club

By Ron dukelow

One of the great, songwriters, Chip Taylor
is appearing at the Live Room on Friday 22
May. Chip’s life has been so colourful we’d
need a whole website, but here’s a taste…….!

He was eventually banned from every
casino in Atlantic City! In the late 1980s he
garnered enormous horse race winnings.
In 1993 he went on a songwriters tour,
and his creative juices started to flow
again. Bonnie Raitt recorded his Poppa
Come Quick on her Luck of the Draw
album and several other artists started
recording his new material. Taylor released
his retrospective collection, Hit Man, with
versions of 13 of his most successful songs.

Born James Wesley Voight and raised in
Yonkers, New York, he has super-talented
brothers. Jon is the award-winning actor, and
Barry is a noted geologist in the volcanic activity
interpretation field. His niece is Angelina Jolie!
During the 1960s Chip was one of the most
recorded songwriters in the world. Wild
Thing and Angel of The Morning are the two
best-known - others are Try (Just A Little Bit
Harder) performed by Janis Joplin, I Can’t Let
Go (The Hollies, Linda Ronstadt), Country
Girl, City Man (Ike and Tina Turner), Any Way
That You Want Me (The Troggs, Evie Sands,
Juice Newton, Lita Ford) and many others.

In 1997 The Living Room Tapes was
released, an intimate look at Taylor’s life
and relationships. Taylor’s next album Seven
Days In May, released in 1999, had duets
with Lucinda Williams and Guy Clark.
Chip continues to write, record and produce
via his own Train Wreck Records, where he
hosts, amongst others, the great guitarist and
producer John Platania (Van Morrison, Randy
Newman, Bonnie Raitt and Judy Collins), with
whom he appears in Saltaire.

During a break from music in the 1980s
Chip turned his sights on gambling, where he
quickly gained notoriety, finishing third in the
Las Vegas World Blackjack Championship.

October 1988 and small town USA
is about to witness the end of the
world. It’s home to Donnie Darko, a
brilliant but troubled teenager, plagued
by terrifying visions to which he alone
holds the key.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

LIVE ROOM 3RD BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH NINE
BELOW ZERO
8pm, Caroline Street Social Club
Nine Below Zero are a seminal British
rhythm and blues outfit who celebrated
35 years together in 2014, and continue
to set the standard for hard driving,
high energy blues-rock and more.
£15/£13 club members + £1 on door.

Saturday 2 May
Golden Cabinet presents Powell
7pm, Kirkgate Centre
DJ, producer and head honcho at
Diagonal Records, Powell is playing
at Golden Cabinet. The anticipation
has already reached stellar proportions
so expect a mindblowing mix of
EBM, no-wave, rhythmic post-punk
and all-out noise bound together by a
heavy overdrive of bass inspired raging
techno. £11/13

Johnny Cash Revisited
7.30pm, Bingley Arts Centre
Johnny Cash Revisited is a semibiographical show illustrating the
transition of Johnny Cash from a
gospel singer from Dyess Arkansas
into the legendary recording artist, The
Man in Black.

A regular and popular event,
showcasing a vast variety of crafts and
gifts not available in standard high
street shops. If you’re looking for a gift
with a difference you’re sure to find it
here! Continues on Monday 4th May.

MONDAY 4 MAY
A GRAND DAY OUT
ALL DAY @ INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM, BD2 3HP
A fun-filled Grand Day Out with kids
activities, Viking warriors and birds of
prey - there’ll be loads to see. Contrast
the lives of our families in the 1875,
1945 and 1975 back-to-back houses.
See some of the inventions that made
life easier and experience how transport
changed from our tram to a 1970s
camper van. With a brass band, a troop
of Home Guard and 1970s music on
vinyl records you can hear the differing
tastes in music over the years. All
welcome and, best of all, it’s free!
www.bradfordmuseums.org

Direct from Prince Edward Island,
Canada, bluegrass fiddler Gordie
MacKeeman has been making big
waves over the last couple of years and
really has to be seen to be believed.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

Noche Latina presents Salsa Como Loco
& Sharon King
8pm, Caroline Street Social Club
This month features the fabulous dance
band Salsa Como Loco. This time
we’ll have a special guest appearance
from hot american musician Joe
McCarthy, well respected in the USA
with a number of releases under his
own name, Joe is the founder, leader,
producer and drummer of Afro Bop
Alliance, winner of the 2008 Latin
Grammy for Album of the Year and
has recorded and or performed with
Paquito D’ Rivera, Poncho Sanchez,
Arturo O’ Farrill & Samuel Torres
amongst others. No advance tickets, all
tickets on the door at £7.

This months lecture is Buckingham
Palace, the history, occupants and
contents, by Oliver Everett.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

Improve the variety of plants you
have inside and outside of your home.
Learn the techniques needed to make
softwood and leaf cuttings and create
new plants for free!

Saltaire Bookshop Book Club
7pm, Saltaire Bookshop
Our Book Club will be discussing Kate
Atkinson’s Life After Life. For more
info contact the shop on 01274 589144.

The Dragon Boat Festival
10am - 4pm, Roberts Park, Saltaire
The Dragon Boat Festival will see over
30 teams take part in races on the River

SEND US YOUR EVENT LISTINGS...

If you have an event you would like to feature in our listings please email
submissions@thesaltairereview.co.uk. All listings are free of charge
and are administered on a first come first serve basis.

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@saltairereview

facebook.co.uk/thesaltairereview

Aire at Roberts Park in Saltaire.

www.lmabradforddbf.co.uk

Irregular Roots presents Hall
Brothers and John Carey/Steve
Chapman Smith
8pm, Kirkgate Centre
Featuring contemporary and traditional
material with a fine mixture of strong
songwriting, great harmonies, intricate
guitar playing and fiddle pyrotechnics,
they never fail to leave the audience
with a smile on their face! £6/£4.
www. kirkgatecentre.org.uk

Sunday 10 May
Cinema Organ Society Concert
2.30pm – 5pm, Victoria Hall
A Cinema Organ concert featuring
popular music from film, television
and radio on the world famous mighty
Wurlitzer. The performer for this
concert is Nigel Ogden.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

The Live Room presents Lady Maisery
8pm, Caroline Street Social Club
Forged from the voices of Hannah
James, Hazel Askew and Rowan
Rheingans, Lady Maisery explore
vocal harmony to breathtaking effect,
through their fresh interpretations
of songs and ballads. £12/£10 club
members + £1 on door.

Thursday 14 May
Shipley College Open Day
4.30-7.30pm, Exhibition Building
Find out more about the College and
the full-time and part-time courses and
apprenticeships we offer. You can talk
to our tutors, get some careers advice
and guidance and enrol on courses.
www.shipley.ac.uk

Saturday 16 May
Lego Club
1.30pm, Kirkgate Centre

PICK OF THE MONTH
Saltaire dragon boat festival, SATURDAY 9TH MAY
The Dragon Boat Festival will see over 30 teams take part in colourful boat
races on the River Aire at Roberts Park in Saltaire. A 20m big screen will
broadcast a live stream of the action to ensure those participating are the
main stars. The festival is a free event, open to all and promises to be a real
community occasion.
www.lmabradforddbf.co.uk

Once a month the main hall of the
Kirkgate Centre is filled with Lego,
Kinex, Meccano for children (and
parents) creating all kinds of amazing
things. A cafe serves affordable
hot drinks, fresh crepes and healthy
homemade savouries and cakes.

FROM CHARLIE AND LOLA TO RUBY REDFORT
– LAUREN CHILD IN CONVERSATION
12PM @ NATIONAL MEDIA MUSEUM
Do you love the adventures of Charlie
and Lola? The stories of sassy and
confident schoolgirl Clarice Bean?
Daring, gadget-laden, code-cracking
teenage spy, Ruby Redfort? Then don’t
miss the opportunity to hear Lauren
Child, award-winning writer and
illustrator of these books. Tickets £6.
www.bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk

HAWORTH 1940S WEEKEND
12PM, HAWORTH VILLAGE
Nostalgia through the streets of
Haworth as visitors flock to Bronte
Country for the village’s popular 1940s
weekend, with live entertainment, beer
tent, land army parade, cadet drill, static
planes, military vehicles and vintage
stalls. All free!
www.haworth1940sweekend.co.uk

Day of Dance
TBC, Victoria Hall
The Day of Dance in Saltaire is a great
event that takes place twice a year to
raise money for Oxfam and Yorkshire
CND, amongst other charities.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

Wednesday 20 May
Meet The Author
7pm, Saltaire Bookshop
Alan Hall discusses his book Bradford
In 100 Dates. Did you know Charles
1 sold Bradford to four London
financiers to offset his debts? Or
that Mary Sykes was accused of
witchcraft after allegedly turning on her
neighbours and flying away on a cow?
Find out more on 20 May. For more
info contact the shop on 01274 589144.

7.30pm, Victoria Hall
The band that does what it says on the
tin - an exhilarating journey through
some of the varied celtic fiddle styles to
be found on both sides of the Atlantic.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

The Live Room presents Chip Taylor with
John Platania
8pm, Caroline Street Social Club

Ex-supervillain Gru is recruited to help
the Anti-Villain League after a secret
Arctic laboratory is stolen. Gru juggles
family life and a growing attraction
to AVL agent Lucy as his minions are
quietly kidnapped for some malevolent
purpose.
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

Saltaire Arts Trail
Various

Saturday 30 May

One of our favourite artists,
songwriters and people. £14/£12 club
members + £1 on door.

The aim of the Saltaire Arts Trial is to
support the visual arts in and around
Saltaire, celebrating the village’s rich
heritage, and offering opportunities to
both emerging and established artists.
Continues through to Monday 25 May.

Record Club
8pm, Kirkgate Centre
Bring and listen to vinyl in a relaxed
setting with great company and a
bottled beer/wine bar.
www. kirkgatecentre.org.uk

Wednesday 27 May

Sunday 31 May

The Live Room Presents Tim Eriksen and
Eliza Carthy
8pm, Caroline Street Social Club

Spring Re-considered
10-3pm, Kirkgate Centre

Besides both wearing their hearts
on their sleeves Tim and Eliza share
an outward-looking musical vision,
drawing inspiration from a broad range
of sources. When we heard that the
pair were doing some rare duo dates
to plug the live album Bottle, captured
during their 2013 tour, we couldn’t
resist bringing them to The Live Room.
£14/£12 club members + £1 on door.

After the success of our November
event we’ll be swapping clothes,
running fun up-cycling and recycling
activities and doing a pay-as-you-feel
cafe.
www. kirkgatecentre.org.uk

Yorkshire Craft Fairs
10am – 4pm, Victoria Hall
A regular and popular event,
showcasing a vast variety of crafts and
gifts not available in standard high
street shops. If you’re looking for a
gift with a difference, you’re sure to
find it here!
www.victoriahallsaltaire.co.uk

SEND US YOUR EVENT LISTINGS...

If you have an event you would like to feature in our listings please email
submissions@thesaltairereview.co.uk. All listings are free of charge
and are administered on a first come first serve basis.

Rick McKay and special guest Jodie McKay pay tribute to Johnny Cash and June Carter with their band “Starkville City” to bring you a two hour uplifting show, suitable for
all and crammed full of Country Music, Rock ‘n’ Roll , and Rockabilly Classics!

A Collection of three short comedies directed by Brian Stoner...A Collier’s Tuesday
Tea - a gritty drama where the table upstages everyone. Pride At Southanger Park
- a period piece with words by Jane and costumes by Ethel and Cinderella – a master
class in this genre.

Bingley little theatre presents..

if i were you

Mon 25th May - Sat 30th May , 7.30pm, £8 (£7 conc)
The Rodales seem like an ordinary family, but Jill and Mal have lost the spark in their marriage. Waking up one morning and
finding they have switched personas, Mal in Jill’s body and Jill in Mal’s. Will seeing things from the other side make matters
worse, or is this just what they need to save their family?

Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Heather and I’m a qualified yoga teacher,
student, music-lover and anatomy geek! As well
as teaching here in the UK I’m part of the team
at a yoga school in South Goa, India where
I teach every year. My mantra – it’s all about
balance!

community in Saltaire that would complete my
sense of truly having come home!
What’s the best thing about teaching yoga?
I enjoy exploring body and mind wellness with
my students and sharing my knowledge and
passion with the people I meet. Helping others
develop physically, mentally and emotionally is
its own reward - there’s nothing quite like seeing
a radiant smile at the end of a class!

How did you discover yoga and what
inspired you to start teaching it?
I first became interested in health and wellbeing
in my late teens and took my first yoga class
a few years later when I moved to London.
I originally saw yoga as a complement to
running, cycling and gym workouts, but was
soon hooked on the deeper side of yoga and
the balance it brought to my life. A study trip to
Goa six years ago and redundancy from my job
in the music industry motivated me to take my
yoga practice to the next level and I set out to
become a teacher.

What are your plans for the next year?
I’ve just run a yoga Spring Clean for body and
mind which was great fun and really inspiring.
I’ll be offering more themed workshops,
regular Yin Yoga and candlelit Restorative Yoga
sessions and Yoga for Runners and Cyclists.
There are also plans for a day-long retreat
and yoga alfresco! For my own practice I’ll
be having an intensive study period with my
teacher in the summer and I’ve been invited
once again to teach in Goa over Christmas.

What’s your relationship with Saltaire?
I was born and brought up here. I remember
passing Salts Mill on the way to school when
it was still derelict and abandoned. Saltaire
has blossomed and bloomed in my absence
and I’m so proud it has been designated a
World Heritage site. If I can contribute to
this transformation by developing a yoga

How can people get involved in your
classes?
Pop along to my website (heatheryoga.co.uk) or
Facebook page (heather gregg yoga & wellness)
to see what classes, courses and workshops I
offer in Saltaire.

42

Sat 23 Mon 25
MAY 2015

OPEN HOUSES
VILLAGE-W I DE GALLERY

& M ADE IN SALTAIRE

CONT EM P OR ARY DESIGN ER

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& DE MON S T R AT ION S

EXHI BI T I ON S

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CREATIVE AC T I V I T I ES

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interesting work in the region.”
Yorkshire Post